Blue Jackets forward Armeni Panarin went for one goal and one assist, playing a hand in the first two goals of the night. He set up a trailing Pierre-Luc Dubois in the slot for a first-period goal at 17:30 to make it 1-0.

After Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson lost the puck on a wraparound attempt, Panarin chipped it into an open net for a 2-0 lead at 11:49. Panarin's goal started a string of three striahg shots that found the back of the net after Kinkaid stopped 30 of the first 31 shots he faced.

Josh Anderson kept the puck on a 2-on-1 and fired a wrister inside the far right post at 13:09, then Oliver Bjorkstrand scored 1:49 later, scoring an unassisted goal on a wrist shot between the circles.

The three goals in a 3:09 stretch put the Devils in an insurmountable hole, but the offense couldn't solve Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky from the start. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner kept the Devils off the board until Kyle Palmieri scored with the Devils already down six goals at 16:26 of the third.

Palmieri hit the post off a scramble in front before the puck was pushed in by the glove of Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner.

Bobrovsky saved 34 of the 35 shots he faced.

Prior to that goal, the Blue Jackets continued to pour it on in the third. Forward Nick Foligno chipped in a rebound at 6:25 of the third. After Seth Jones hit the post, Foligno punched the puck right back through the crease and past Kinkaid.

After the Devils killed the Blue Jackets' first four power plays, Columbus converted on its fifth with a Matt Calvert goal at 9:45.

Next up

Things don't get easier for the Devils, who flew back to Newark following the game, and they will host the Boston Bruins at 7 p.m. at the Prudential Center on Sunday. They visit the Flyers on Tuesday, followed by another home game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.